As reported by the club’s official website, Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane was right in the middle of the action as France, defeated Poland 3-1 to advance to the quarterfinals, setting up a crunch encounter with England.
After Varane hobbled off for United during a 1-1 Premier League tie against Chelsea in October, he was worried that his World Cup dream would be over before it ever had started.
He worked on his fitness and recovered in time to feature for the Les Blues. His presence was crucial against Poland as the centre-back demonstrated hai toughness at the back.
Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe (2) scored goals in each half at the Al Thumama Stadium, but Varane had to stop Poland with an off-the-line clearance during one of the game’s crucial moments. Varane also kept an eye on the opposition’s star player, Robert Lewandowski, who remained quiet throughout despite scoring a late penalty after it had to be retaken.
Raphael Varane’s game by numbers vs. Poland:
100% dribbles completed
91% pass accuracy
53 touches
40 passes completed
3 interceptions
1 block
1 goal-line clearanceRolls Royce at the back. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/IqKHJH92R8
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 4, 2022
However, after colliding with Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny from a set-piece on the restart, the fans had their heart in their mouth for a second. Fortunately, both the players were able to continue, and the former Real Madrid player remained on the field throughout as France advanced to the round of eight.
When you look at the defender’s game statistics from the match, you can see how well he played against the Polish side. Varane made 40 passes during the match, completing them with a commendable 91% accuracy.
Varane has now played 228 minutes over three games after sitting out their Group D opener against Australia, despite having fitness concerns going into the competition.
United defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw started each of England’s four matches in this World Cup, while Marcus Rashford made an impression against Wales by scoring twice. Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro have also played well for their respective nations.
